Gone From My Gaze
                                     by Michelle Nolen <tatania1@geocities.com>
  Ok, first the disclaimer. All characters herein are the property of Disney and/or Buena Vista Television. Except those that came from my little noggin. And if any of you are interested in knowing, this is the story for my clan character. I'm an official member of Puck's Church. :) Oh, and also this has nothing to do with my other two fanfics I've got posted here. *shudder* I'll just call those a learning process. And if you're curious what the main character looks like, I've got two pictures of her. One as a child and one as an adult. Anywho, on with the story.
 
             Thou art gone from my gaze like a beautiful dream,
             And I seek thee in vain by the meadow and stream.
                     - -George Linley "Thou Art Gone"
 

             "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.
              And therefore is wing'd cupid painted blind.
              Nor hath love's mind of any judgement taste.
              Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.
              And therefore is love said to be a child.
              Because, in choice, he is so oft beguiled."
                        -"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare

           They name thee before me,
             A knell to mine ear;
          A shudder comes o'er me-
            Why wert thou so dear?
         They know not I knew thee,
            Who knew thee too well:-
         Long, long shall I rue thee!-
            Too deeply to tell.
                 --Lord Byron "When We Two Parted"

  You and me
   We used to be together
   Every day together always

    I really feel
    I'm losing my best friend
    I can't believe
    This could be the end
                      --No Doubt  "Don't Speak"

Thousands of years of evolution had made him the perfect hunter. Feathers so faultless that they broke through
the air without a sound. His wide, yellow eyes absorbed every bit of light to allow him to
see in the darkness. Talons, his deadly weapons, protruded from his feather covered feet.
And barely visible beneath the fluff on his face, was a sharp beak, designed to tear and rip
his prey.
    His destination loomed before him. Sharply contrasting with the surrounding vegetation
was a immense castle. Built of stone in the classic medieval style, it seemed out of place,
but eerily natural. Along its barristers were the silent stone figures of the gargoyles that
inhabited it. Their fierce stature made it clear that they protected their home even in their
sleep. Gliding down towards the castle, the nocturnal hunter headed towards a familiar
form. Glad that he had made it on time, the owl landed on the wall before the sleeping
gargoyle and waited.
   He did not wait long. Tiny cracks began to form on the stone. With a ear piercing
screech, the female gargoyle exploded from her stone skin. In the background, the owl
could hear the sounds of the other gargoyles waking up. But he was not concerned with
them. Only her. Celia, he believed was what she was called. Names were strange to him.
He had a name, it was one she had given to him. He responded to it, but never associated
it with himself.
    He looked at his dear friend as she stretched out. Compared to the others of her clan,
she was rather small. About 5'6 her frame was small and delicate. Like his feathers, her
skin was white as freshly fallen snow. But her hands, feet and the tip of her tail were a light
shade of purple. Her wings too were purple, only slightly darker in hue. Long and blond,
her hair fell down from her head in smooth waves. And around her neck, attached to a
golden chain, was a small, round gem, as blue as her sapphire eyes. A delicate leaf of unknown
material wrapped itself around the gem and shimmered under the pale moonlight.
   With a smile, the gargoyle walked over to the snowy owl. Holding out her arm, she
allowed him to climb onto her shoulder. Claws that would rip a human's skin apart with
but a touch barely scratched the gargoyle's skin.
    "Good evening Ulysses," Celia greeted, "How are you this lovely evening?"
 Ulysses responded with a series of hoots and screeches. Throwing her head back, his
friend laughed heartily.
    "Slept in did you?" she asked, "I wager you didn't have time to grab breakfast before
you came. Am I right?"
The owl nodded his head. "Well, then," she continued, "I can't have you going hungry. Go
and get something to eat and I'll see you later. Now go on before you faint from hunger."
    Ulysses rubbed his soft head against her face and then took off into the air. The
gargoyle watched as he flew away and smiled. She loved that owl, but every time she saw
Ulysses, she couldn't help but recall old memories. Memories about him, the one who had
meant more to her than anything in the world. And whenever she thought of those times
gone by, her heart sank. She had become good at pushing the sorrow down, as she did
so now. But it always left a tiny bit of sadness behind.
    Sighing deeply, she jumped up onto the castle wall. As she gazed at the gorgeous
Avalon landscape, something inside of her stirred. Impulsively, her hand went to the jewel
around her neck and gently embraced it. Feelings of despondency and gloom reared up.
Try as she might, this time she could not suppress them. It was times like this that she
wished that he were with her. He could always lift her from these bad spirits. But he
wasn't here. And that alone made her sorrow swell up even more. Celia hated it when she
got like this. If she didn't get this under control soon, she knew what would come next.
The memories continued to surface. Some that she had not recalled for years. Never
had it been this bad. She had always been able to keep some sort of control over it, but
now it seemed as if there was something stopping her from repressing her feelings. Then
the tears came. Slowly, at first and then as the sorrow increased the tears came in floods.
Sobbing uncontrollably, Celia fell to the castle floor.  She had never felt so utterly
heartbroken and alone. What was going on?
    "Celia."
A soft voice broke through her sobs. Suddenly, Celia felt the sadness lifting and her
control regained.
     "Celia."
Lifting herself off from the stone floor, the white gargoyle look around. There was no one
to be seen. The voice did not belong to one of her rookery siblings, of that she was sure.
Could it be one of the fae who inhabited the island?
     "Who's there?" Celia said to the empty air.
     "Do not worry child," The voice was soft and melodious. It reminded Celia of her
mother's voice from long ago.
     "Who are you?" Celia felt no fear, only curiosity.
     "You will soon find the one you seek," the voice said, " Believe in your own feelings
and not that which you are told."
     "What?"
     "Your time is coming. Be prepared." Those words seemed to ring through the air like a
dying note from a harp.
     "Wait, what are you talking about?" Celia felt the presence leaving, "Be prepared for
what?"
But she knew they were gone. Sitting back down, the female gargoyle put her head in her
hands. She could feel the headache coming. Already this night had been too stressful. And
stress was not something she handled well. She hoped that no more would happen this
night. But it was not to be.
     A flash of green light erupted behind her. She turned to see one of Oberon's lesser
known children standing behind her. He looked upon her as he would an insect; with
contempt and scorn. Some of the fae disliked having mortals living on Avalon and often
made it very apparent.
    "Is there something I can do for you?" Celia asked calmly.
    "Yes." he said with disdain, "Lord Oberon would see you." With another flash, the fae
disappeared as quickly as he came.
   "Why does he want to see me?" Celia thought to herself. Since the fae returned to
Avalon, Celia had never met Oberon and couldn't think of why he would want to see her.
Unless it was because of the incident with Ymir. Now it was Celia's turn to be frightened.
She knew that she wouldn't be able to get away with it for long. Now it was time to pay
up, so to speak.
    But it wasn't her fault, she rationalized to herself. It was all in self-defense. She
remembered that night a month ago like it was yesterday. She had just awaken and was
strolling through the woods thinking to herself, as she often did.  When
she was preparing to return to the castle, she was stopped by a fae. It was Ymir who the
Norse people believed to be the first living thing created. The lustuos sneer on his face made it all too clear what he wanted from her. He came towards her and grabbed her by the arms. Struggle
as she might, she couldn't release herself from his lustful grip. As Celia saw what lay
ahead, she became overcome with desperation.  She could not and would not allow this
to happen. She would rather die fighting that to allow this violation to happen. So,
mustering up all of her strength, the petite gargoyle broke free of his embrace. Then aided
by the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she struck him across the face with her fist.
What happened next, Celia cannot explain. The blow knocked him off of her with more
force than she had put into it. He flew backwards and skidded across the forest floor.
With a thud, he hit the trunk of a tree and fell to the ground motionless.  Surprised by the
events which had just occurred, Celia could only stare at his limp body.
    Cautiously, she crept towards him. He wasn't breathing, but she wasn't even sure if
his kind needed to breathe. As she got closer, she noticed something strange about his skin. It
was slowly shriveling up, like that of a corpse. Soon, it hugged his bones tightly and turned
a deathly gray.  Carefully, Celia reached out and gently touched him. The body crumbled
beneath her touch and fell to the ground in a pile of ashes. A gust of wind then picked up
the ashes and scattered them across Avalon.
   She wasn't sure whether what had happened was real or merely a trick played on her by one of Oberon's Children. But she never saw Ymir again. She often wondered if he was indeed dead. But how could that be? As far as she
knew, only iron could accomplish that and only by certain methods. Celia had hoped that
Oberon wouldn't notice Ymir's absence but she knew that he would hear of it
sooner or later. Then he would punish her, for he would never allow a mortal to get away
with killing a fae, especially on Avalon. Frightened of what lay ahead, but too scared to
ignore his summons, Celia entered the castle and walked to the throne room.
    Oberon was obviously awaiting her arrival, because she was let right in to see him. The
Lord of Avalon sat at the far end of the room in his mighty throne. A slight smirk was on
his lips and a look of malicious glee was on his face. Seeing this made Celia even more
nervous than she had been. But not anxious to anger him anymore than she had to, the
gargoyle racked her brain for the proper courtly manners. When she approached Oberon,
she knelt before him and lowered her head. Patiently, she remained thus, silent.
    "You may rise," Oberon said with a slight wave of his hand. The gargoyle's mannerisms
amused him.
   Celia complied and rose to a standing position. "My Lord," she said, doing her best
curtsy.
    "As you well know, We have called you here for a reason," Oberon said to her.
    "Yes my lord."
    "Do you know why, Celia?"
    A brief look of surprise came over Celia's face when she heard him address her by
name. If he knew her name, than he must have somehow found out. She hesitated before
answering.
"On the incident with  Ymir , I believe my lord."
    "Oh that?" Oberon said in a careless manner, "Think nothing of it. He was worthless.
We have called you here because news has come to us which we believe might be of
interest to you."
    Celia didn't know what was going on. What could possibly be of interest to her? And
even if it was, why would Oberon tell her about it, let alone personally?  He was not
known for his concern with mortals. Not knowing what else to do, she merely nodded.
     "It has come to out attention that a certain acquaintance of yours may be in need of
your assistance."
      "If I may ask, my Lord, who?" Celia ventured to speak out of pure curiosity.
      "Why, the trickster Puck, of course." As Oberon spoke his former servant's name,
Celia thought she caught a glimpse of anger on the lord's face. But it was gone so fast that
she even doubted it had been there.  Besides, her own emotions were overwhelming her
too much to be able to accurately read those of another.
    Celia almost fell to the ground when she heard his name. It had been so long. When the
Gathering occurred, she was sure she would see him again, but he never came. All hope
of ever seeing him again was destroyed when she realized that ALL of the fae were back
on Avalon. And if he wasn't there, then he was probably dead.  Now to hear that he was
indeed alive filled her with both joy and worry.
     "We were certain you would want to hear of this," Oberon continued. The reaction he
got from Celia was just as he had expected. "And that you would be willing to help."
    "But my Lord, how come we did not know of his need for assistance earlier?"
    "We care not what the Puck does," Oberon said with an edge of disgust to his voice,
"So when he was not to be found, we were unconcerned. But now that the Gathering has
come and gone, he still has not returned to Avalon. Searching for him, We found him in
distress."
    "What kind of distress my Lord?" Celia asked with worry.
    "He is being held captive by an evil mage in the mortal world." Oberon explained. He
smirked as he saw the anger come over the gargoyle's face. "We have been able to locate
where he is being held. A city called New York,"
    "I must go there and rescue him." Celia spurted out before thinking. "But wait," she
said. Oberon frowned at her hesitance. "How am I to fight a mage? I know nothing of the
magical arts and my fighting skills leave much to be desired."
    "Do not worry," said Oberon, "This mage has little power without Puck. If you attack
him while his guard is down, you while be able to destroy him."
    "But do I have to kill him?" Celia hated killing anything. She couldn't even kill a
mosquito that was biting her. "Can't I just get him in a position to release Puck?"
    "No!" Oberon yelled. Regaining his composure, he continued, "If you hesitate in
destroying him, he will know why you are there and kill the Puck without another thought.
You must kill him. Once he is dead, Puck will be free."
    "In New York?" Celia said, "Isn't that where Angela went?"
    "Yes, there is a clan of gargoyles there. You may stay with them until you find your
query. But you mustn't tell them of your reason for travelling to their island."
     "Why not?"
    "Because the mage has informants everywhere and he may discover you plans. You
must keep your motives a secret."
    "Very well, I will depart for this New York tomorrow night. Thank you my Lord," she
bowed politely before the fay. "Oh, it would be helpful to know who this mage is so I can
locate him easier."
     "You should have no trouble locating him," Oberon said maliciously, "He resides in the
same residence as the gargoyles. But We will tell you his name, nonetheless. He is called
Owen Burnett."
     Celia's eyes glowed red with anger. "Then I will travel to New York and free Puck by killing Owen Burnett."

   "Ulysses!" Celia glided over the woods calling for her feathered friend. It was almost
dawn and she wouldn't have time to speak with him before she left tomorrow. But she
needed to tell him she was leaving. "Ulysses!"
     From beneath the dense growth of trees, she heard a familiar hoot.  Soon, she was
joined by the snowy owl. He flew beside her and looked at her expectantly.
     "There you are." she laughed, "I've been looking all over for you." She turned around
and he followed her. "I need to be heading back to the castle, come with me please."
     Ulysses hooted his agreement.
     "Did you eat?" she asked. He nodded. "Good. Ulysses, I need to tell you something "
Celia sighed and looked at the large bird flying beside her. "I must go somewhere far
away and I don't know how long I'll be gone. "
    The owl looked at her, but said nothing.
     "Well, truth be told, I'm scared to death of going. But someone needs me and I can't
let them down." She gave a sigh. "I need to leave tomorrow night."
     Ulysses looked ahead of him and seemed to be thinking. Finally he looked back at the
gargoyle and gave a little hoot. Celia smiled and reached over and plucked him from his
flight. Hugging him, she gave him a kiss on his head.
    "Thank you my friend," she said, "I feel proud that you would come with me, but I
cannot let you. This 'city' is a dangerous place and I would not feel right bringing you into
danger." They reached the castle and Celia landed on her usual perch. Releasing the owl
from her embrace, she settled down for her last day on Avalon.
"Good day Ulysses," she said "I will see you tonight before I leave. Sleep well my friend."
With that, she turned to stone and slept. And as she slept, she dreamt of times gone by.
 

    It was dusk in England. Celia had just awakened with her mother. They had spent the
day hidden in the woods. The night before they had been out gathering berries for the clan
and found themselves too far away at dawn to make it back to their home. So they had
found a safe place and slept. The mother and daughter were now returning to their clan's
home. The young gargoyle walking beside her mother was barely five in gargoyle years.
Not even able to fly yet. She had no idea of the danger they had been in that day out in
the forest, but her mother did. All of England was stricken with the deadly Black Plague.
Humans were dying in mass numbers and no one knew how to stop the deaths. As more
and more died, the humans became desperate for an explanation and a solution.
Unfortunately for the gargoyles, they were not affected by the plague. The humans saw
this and rationalized that the gargoyles were the cause of the plague. Demons from hell,
they called them. Now whenever humans could, they destroyed any gargoyle they found
in a futile attempt to end the plague.
"Oh mother," Celia laughed as she happily skipped through the woods, "Won't the others
be so happy to get these berries? They are very hard to find this time of the year."
"Yes my dear," The mother covered her worry and fear with a simple smile. "I'm sure they
will love them. Now come, we must hurry back before they begin to worry."    The two
gargoyles quickened their pace. They were forced to stay on the ground by the fact that
Celia could not fly and her mother could not carry both her daughter and the basket at the
same time.  They were nearly home when the older gargoyle realized something was
wrong. An air of danger and death surrounded their home. And they were not greeted by
their fellow clan members as they usually were.
   "Celia, wait," The mother pushed the young gargoyle behind her and carefully took in
the scents around her. Although a gargoyle's nose is not as powerful as that of other
creatures, it is more sensitive than a human nose and can distinguish between the scents of
many different things. What Celia's mother smelled was not good. The scent of humans
filled the air like the stench from a bog. Looking around quickly, the mother searched for a
suitable hiding place for her hatchling.
     "What's wrong momma?" Celia could see the worry and fear on her mother's face and
it scared her.
      "Nothing my child," she lied, "We're going to play a game. You hide here, beneath
these bushes, while I go get the others. Then they can try to find you." She looked down
onto her child's frightened face and smiled joyfully. "Now doesn't that sound like fun?"
    "Yeah, I guess so," Celia was still uncertain what was going on but her mother's joyful
grin eased her fears. So she did as her mother suggested and hid under the bushes.
    "Good, now wait right here. I'll be back." Setting down her basket of berries, the adult
gargoyle silently walked away.
    The minutes passed and her mother did not return. Celia began to worry.    Then she
heard the sounds of fighting. From amidst a roar of humans voices, Celia could hear the
high pitched screech of her mother. Thinking of nothing but her mother,
she sprang from her hiding place and ran towards the commotion. What she found was to
be forever engraved upon her mind. The cave where her clan had lived was empty. No
one was to found. All that remained were piles of shattered stone where her family always
slept. Although she was young, Celia knew what had happened. The humans had come
during the day and destroyed her clan. Only she and her mother remained. At the thought
of her mother, Celia remembered why she had left the safety of the bushes and raced to
the noise.
     The child found her mother in the middle of a huge mob of humans. She was
hopelessly outnumbered and fighting a losing battle. The humans had attacked her from
behind and surrounded her so quickly that she did not even have time to run. With rusty
hoes and thick clubs, they beat on the gargoyle, subduing her. When Celia saw this, she
let out a scream.
   "Momma!" she cried. But the humans were too intent upon their task to hear her
plaintive  cry. Her mother, however, did. And when she saw her baby standing there a
new surge of energy overcame her. If she did anything before she died, she was going to
keep these monsters away from her child.
   "Run Celia!" she yelled. "Run away and hide in the woods, I will come for you." With
that she began to slash at the angry crowd with renewed vigor. The men began to fall left
and right from the fury of her claws. But they still had sheer numbers on their side.
    As Celia watched in horror, one of the humans raised a huge axe above his head and
brought it down upon her mother. It was over. Her mother was gone and Celia was alone.
She had no time to grieve though, because the crowd had noticed her. Remembering her
mother's final words, Celia fled into the forest and desperately looked for sanctuary.
Unfortunately, the humans had seen her before she had a chance to flee and were close on
her tail in pursuit.
    Soon they were upon her. Afraid and confused, Celia huddled on the cold forest floor and
cried. When the humans found her, they laughed. One reached over and lifted her from
the ground by her tail.
    "Look at what we have here," he said, "A little bitty gargoyle."
    "The last one left," another commented, "Shall we have some fun with her John?"
    "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea Geoffrey. What do you think fellows?" John
turned to the crowd and raised Celia high into the air. "Let's have a bit o' fun with this
one."
    A resounding yes came from the mob. While one man ran back to town to grab a cage,
the others entertained themselves by pulling Celia's blond hair and poking her with sticks. The
little gargoyle was so frightened and still reeling from the death of her mother, that she
offered no resistance.
    When the man returned with a wooden cage, they placed her in it. He had also brought
some darts with him to add to the fun. They placed her in the branches of a tree so that
she was eye level and began a modified game of darts. Taking turns, they would each
throw a pointy dart at her. Whoever made her cry out in pain was considered the winner.
The darts flew into Celia's skin like a unstoppable torrent of fire. They pierced her delicate
skin dotting its white coloring with red blood. Huddled against the back of the cage, Celia
did the best she could to keep the darts from striking her. But after a while, she just gave
up. No matter what she did, the pain continued. So she just covered her face with her
hands and waited for each new blow.
     However, the men soon tired with the game and gave it up. Dawn was approaching
and they knew that their fun would be over soon.
    "Are we going to smash her at dawn?" Geoffrey asked.
    "Nah," John replied, "That's no fun. What could we do?"
    "I know!" a man from the crowd cried, "Remember when we found that witch in town
last summer?"
    "Yeah, what about it?"
    "Well, remember how we fixed her?"
    "That's right," John smiled, "That was a hoot, wasn't it?" He went over and took Celia's
cage down from the tree. "The dunker's still set up isn't it?" he asked the man.
    "Yup. Right by the lake."
    "Then let's go!" The men all trooped after John towards the lake. They all remembered
what fun they had when they had found that witch. Now it was time to do it all over again.
They reached the lake in record time.
     Besides the lake was a huge wooden platform. It was firmly attached to the ground
with ropes and stones and from it rose a long pole capable of being revolved. A
rope was attached to one end of the pole allowing it to be raised and lowered as needed.
      The men cheered as John walked over to one end of the pole and attached Celia's
cage to it. He then went to the other end and grabbed the rope. It had been tied to the
ground to keep the pole level, but now he untied it. With the extra weight of Celia at one
end, the pole quickly dipped down and submerged her in the water below. The mob
waited for a moment and then pulled the rope to raise her from the water.  Coughing and
sputtering, Celia took  a deep breath. The water was icy cold and her lungs ached from
trying to hold her breath under the water. It was the most awful experience of her life. She
watched helplessly as the men jeered at her and prepared the dunk her again. Seeing it
coming this time, the young gargoyle filled her lungs to their capacity with life giving air.
Her heart almost stopped at the shock of the frigid water surrounding her once again. It
seemed like she was under for hours and just when she didn't think she could hold her
breath any longer, she was lifted from the icy depths. It was just too much. Celia's little
body was almost ready to give in to hypothermia and oxygen deprivation. She knew that
the next time she went under, she would not survive. Faced with the prospect of her own
death, her only hope was that she would be reunited with her mother.
    Tears flowing down her cheeks, Celia accepted her fate as well as any child could. She
closed her eyes and waited for the freezing water to embrace her. Instead, a blast erupted
from the land. Opening her eyes, Celia looked to see what was going on. A green
explosion of light had come from the surrounding forest. The humans looked as startled as
Celia was. Then, an invisible force whipped the rope from John's hands and swung the
pole around so that Celia was over dry land.
    Dazed and confused by what was happening, the humans looked around fearfully. They
knew that this was not natural. It was something, unnatural. Suddenly, a huge beast leapt
from the forest, snarling and snapping its gleaming white fangs. The sight of it alone scared
off half of the mob and the other half were too frightened to move. The beast stomped up
to John and looked him right in the eyes. Its hackles raised up on its back and it opened
its mouth.
    "Boo." it said.
    This was too much for John, he fainted dead away and the other humans fled. Celia
watched fearfully as the beast looked at the fallen human. It slowly began to shimmer and
then it was gone. Looking around, Celia could see no sign of it.
     A soft chuckle could be heard coming from apparently nowhere. It then became a loud
laughter that filled the night air. A gentle green glow began to form in front of Celia's cage
and what she assumed to be a human appeared before her.
    He was smaller than any of the humans she knew. His clothes were unlike any she had
seen. Vibrant purples and reds stood out against the dull night sky. And from his long
white hair, there protruded long pointy ears. This feature alone made Celia reconsider her
classification of him as a human. But he wasn't a gargoyle which, to her, meant he
probably wasn't here with good intentions. She shrank against the back of her cage in
fear. He might not be human, but he looked too much like a human to be trusted. He was
still laughing heartily when he looked at her.
   "Did you see that?" he chuckled, "Those mortals were so scared, I think they almost wet
their pants."   Celia said nothing. She only stared at him in fright.  "Why you're nothing
more than a little kitten." he said as he looked her over. The strange man opened the
cage, "Here ya go. They won't be bothering you any more." He stepped back to let her
out but she only stared at him fearfully. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you scared of
little old Puck? I won't hurt you."  The trickster reached in to take her hand, but she only cringed
back further into the cage.
  "Here, maybe this will help." With a snap of his fingers, Puck zapped up a cloth gargoyle doll and handed it to
her. Celia looked at him cautiously and then at the doll. "Go on, take it. It won't bite you."
     Celia slowly reached out and took the doll. Holding it closely, she gave a little smile.
"Thank you," she said in a barely audible voice.
 "You're welcome my lady," Puck gave an exaggerated bow which caused Celia to giggle
slightly. "You see? I'm not all that bad. Now kitten, can you come out of that cage before
you get a splinter?"
      Still a little cautious, but feeling this person was not a threat, Celia crept from the cage.
She stood before him with her head held low. He bent down to her level and gave her a
big smile.   "There now. All better? "
Celia nodded but still did not look at him.
    "Do you have a name?" he asked her "Or am I to keep calling you kitten?"
     "Celia," the little gargoyle muttered quietly, never looking up.
"Good. Now tell me where the rest of your clan is and I'll bring you straight to them."
Celia's lower lip began to quiver slightly. Apparently he had not seen the massacre of her
clan and mother. Fresh tears cascaded down her face. "They're all gone. I have no where
to go." For the first time that night, the full realization of what had happened hit her.
Overwhelmed with sorrow, she sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm all alone." she managed to
say.
   "Oh come now," Puck picked her up and sat her on his lap. "You're not all alone.
You've got me, your old pal Puck."
   Celia's weeping calmed down a little but she was still crying. She looked at him with her
azure eyes, glistening with tears. "My friend?" she asked.
   "Yes siree." Puck grinned, "Your friend to the end, if you'd like."
   "I'd like that very much." For some reason, Celia felt safe with her new found friend. As
safe as she did with her own mother. She noticed the brightening sky and discovered new
worries. "It's almost dawn. Where am I going to sleep?"
   "I'll take care of that. Don't you worry your little head over that." With a flash of light,
the two disappeared. Celia found herself in a strange place. It was like the cave
where her clan had lived except that there seemed to be no way in or out of it. It was lit
with an eerie green glow that emanated from the stalactites surrounding her.
   "You'll be safe here." Puck said as he sat her down.
   "You won't leave me will you?"
   "Of course not. I'll be right here when you wake."
   "Promise?"
   "I promise. From now on, I'll be looking after you."
   "And you'll never leave me?"
   "Never. Not even Oberon himself could keep me from you."
    And with those comforting words still in her mind but wondering who Oberon was,
Celia sat down on the ground and slowly turned to stone.

     Celia felt the tightness of her stone skin surrounding her. With a great burst of power,
she exploded free from her encasement. The cool night air gently wafted through her hair.
She looked around but he was not there. He had not been there for her for longer than
she cared to think about. He had promised never to leave her. Now all she had to greet
her in the evening was Ulysses. The snowy owl helped to fill an empty space in her heart,
but there still remained a void that only one person could fill.
     He was in trouble. Celia suddenly remembered the events of the night before. The
news that Puck was indeed still alive and being held captive in the mortal world by an evil
sorcerer. She would rescue him and then they would be together again. Full of excitement
and eagerness, yet fearful of what lay ahead, Celia leapt off the castle walls and soared
towards the beach.
     Ulysses soared after her. She had not even noticed him this evening, her mind was so
jumbled. But the owl caught her eye as he flew in front of her and demanded her attention
by screeching at her.
     "Oh, Ulysses, I'm sorry." Celia said, "I didn't mean to ignore you. It's just that I'm so
worried about what's going to happen that my mind's shutting down. "
    The white owl hooted as if to say, apology accepted. They reached the shore in a
matter of minutes. Celia was surprised to see a rickety old boat gently rocking on the
waves. Beside it stood none other than Oberon himself, along with an entourage of
servants. When he saw the gargoyle approaching, he smiled maliciously.
    "Good evening my dear," he said as Celia landed before him. Ulysses positioned
himself on her shoulder. When the owl saw the Lord of Avalon, he immediately ruffled up
all of his feathers and began to hiss.
    "Ulysses!" Celia scolded, "Behave yourself." He looked at her for a moment before
lowering his puffed up plumage. But a defensive hiss still came from him.
    "Forgive him my Lord," Celia bowed "He's not used to being around others."
    "Yes..Of course." Oberon replied, "Are you prepared to travel to the mortal realm?"
    "Yes, my Lord."
    "Very good. This skiff will transport you to the island of Manhattan. Find the gargoyles
and you will find he who you are looking for."
    "One thing confuses me my Lord," Celia said timidly. She still did not feel comfortable
around the powerful fae. "Why would Angela and her clan allow someone so evil to live in
their home?"
    "He has cast a spell on them that hides his true nature from them. Once you destroy
him, the spell will be lifted and the Puck will be freed. But beware, if they learn of you
plans, they will try to stop you, so tell them nothing." Oberon called over one of his
servants and whispered something into his ear. Then he returned his attention back to the
waiting gargoyle. "You will go now. My servant will assist you." And with a dramatic flash
of light and sound, Oberon and his servants vanished.
   "Well Ulysses," she said to the owl on her shoulder, "I guess this is it. I promise to
return, I just don't know when. Wish me luck, my friend."
  Ulysses nuzzled against his gargoyle friend and hooted goodbye. Flapping his mighty
wings, he lifted off from her shoulders and flew into the night. Fighting back the tears,
Celia turned towards the servant Oberon had left to assist her. He looked at Celia with a
amused smirk. He slowly walked up to her, almost laughing at some joke only he was
aware of.
    "What do I need to do?" Celia asked him.
    "Just get in the boat and wait. The magic of Avalon will do the rest."
    "Whatever you say." Celia stepped into the boat and sat down.  The servant went up to
the bow of the boat and gave it a mighty heave. The vessel lurched into the water and
slowly drifted into the mists surrounding Avalon. Celia watched as the island that she had
come to know as home disappeared into the mist. As she was drifting away, she could
hear the faint sound of the fae laughing.
   Not knowing what else to do, Celia leaned back into the boat and waited. Although her
mission was dangerous, she couldn't help but to be excited at the prospect of this new
adventure. Avalon was a beautiful place to live, but there was really nothing to do. At least
to her there wasn't.  Before she came to that magical isle, she had become accustomed to
having new adventures almost every day. Being with a trickster, that was to be expected.
Now it had been so long since she had any excitement, Celia was almost ecstatic.
  The time passed, but Celia had no idea how long. The thick fog that still surrounded her
hid the moon from her sight. For all she knew, it could be almost dawn. She was on the
verge of falling asleep when the most horrifying noise rang through the air. A low bellow
echoed through Celia's body. She could feel  her organs vibrating from the sound. Then,
the noise stopped and the air was silent again. Celia had just heard her first foghorn. No
longer tired and on the alert, the white gargoyle strained her eyes to make out anything in
the haze.
    The thick mists began to dissipate. Thousands of tiny lights started peeking through fog
like stars come down from the sky.  Celia's eyes widened in awe as the last of the mist
cleared away and the sources of the lights appeared before her.  Buildings of metal and
glass towered above her, reaching higher than the tallest trees in Avalon. They stretched
across the shoreline and reached for the sky like flowers yearning for the sun.
    Celia was awestruck. All she could do was stare at the strange, new sights before her.
She was so occupied by these structures that she was unaware of the huge barge
bearing down on her tiny boat. Seconds before impact, Celia heard the roar of the
oncoming behemoth and threw herself clear of the skiff and into the frigid waters. There
was a loud crash and the wooden vessel was shattered into a million pieces.
    As soon as Celia's body hit the water, she could feel the immense undertow created by
the passing craft. She was helpless against the powerful pull as it dragged her beneath the
metal ship. Memories of what the humans had done to her as a hatchling flooded into her
mind. Filled with terror, Celia struggled to fight the undertow. Flailing her arms around her,
she desperately searched for something solid in the murky waters. Suddenly, she felt solid
steel beneath her talons. With her last bit of energy, the gargoyle sank her claws into the
ship's hull. Exhausted, but not willing to die, Celia slowly clawed her way up the side of
the barge and out of the water. Gasping for breath, she hung limply against the cold steel,
striving to stay conscious and keep her hold on the ship. Well aware that she did not have
the strength to battle the deadly waters again, Celia prayed that the barge would dock
soon.
    For the first time that night, luck seemed to shine upon Celia. The ship headed towards
the land and docked in a matter of minutes. When she felt the vessel stop, Celia hoped
that they were at land. For every muscle in her body screamed in agony and she could
hold on no longer. Releasing her grip, Celia fell and trusted that there would be land to
catch her. With a painful crash, the depleted gargoyle hit the wooden pier. All Celia could
do was lay there motionless. Her body called out for rest, but her brain knew that she was
not safe where she was.
    Bearing the pain, Celia forced herself up from the pier. She had succeeded in raising
herself to a sitting position when she heard a commotion coming from the ship she had just
been on. It sounded as if there was fighting going on inside the ship. A human's scream
rang out and was soon followed by a familiar sound. It was the roar of an enraged
gargoyle. Before Celia could consider a course of action, a man hit the cargo boxes
beside her with a crash. Looking up, Celia could see a gargoyle standing on the edge of
the boat.  They were just about to leave when they noticed Celia. Softly gliding down, the
strange gargoyle headed towards her.  As they got closer, Celia realized that it was none
other than her rookery sister, Angela.
     "Celia?" Angela asked in an amazed voice as she landed beside the reclining gargoyle,
"What are you doing here?"
     "Ummm, looking for you, " As soon as the words left Celia's lips, she wished she hadn't
said them. Angela looked at her skeptically and Celia knew she didn't really believe her.
She and Angela had never gotten along well. Neither of them knew why; it was like they
just weren't compatible in some way. In fact, Celia had been happy to see her rookery
sister leave.
     "Well, for whatever reason you're here, it's going to have to wait," Angela replied, "It's
nearly sunrise. Just follow me back to the castle."
     Celia tried to stand up, but it proved too much for her weakened body. She feel to the
ground and felt herself blacking out. She saw Angela reaching out to help her, but waved
her away.
     "Just let me carry you back." Angela said.
     "I don't need you to carry me like a hatchling." Celia growled, "I can do fine on my
own."
     "If this is fine, I'd hate to see you doing awful." Angela sneered.
     "Just shut up Angela," Celia was beginning to become angry with her.
     "We don't have time to argue," Angela said, "If we stay here the Quarrymen will surely
find us come dawn. So come on." The lavender gargoyle headed for Celia.
     Not about to let her touch her, Celia's eyes lit up in anger and she lashed out for
Angela. But Angela had always been a better fighter than her rookery sister and easily
dodged the futile attack. Then, before Celia could react, Angela gave her a well placed blow
and knocked her out cold.

1360 AD
 
    "Awww, come on Celia. Those wings aren't just for looks ya know."  Celia was
standing near the edge of a high cliff. Floating in the air a few feet out was Puck. He had a
beckoning look on his face and smiled at her reassuringly.
    "I don't know Pookie," Celia held the cloth doll he had given her years ago tightly to her
chest. "What if I fall?"
     "Fall?" Puck laughed, "Why, I bet you'll take to this like a gargoyle to the air."
     "I am a gargoyle!" Celia giggled.
     "You sure?" Puck rubbed his chin and gave her a skeptical look, "I could have sworn
you were a horse. You sure do eat like one."
     "Stop being silly Pookie," Celia laughed.
     "I'll stop being silly when pigs fly and you stop loving gooseberry pie.
     "Yumm," Celia licked her lips and rubbed her tummy, "You make the best gooseberry
pie Pookie."
     "Well, if you at least try to fly, I'll get you one. Deal?" A steaming pie appeared in front
of Celia just long enough for her to get a whiff and then disappeared.
     "But I'm scared," Celia looked over the edge of the cliff cautiously. They weren't that
high up, but Celia didn't relish the thought of falling from any height.
     "Oh, don't be scared. I won't let you fall." Puck drifted closer to her and ruffled her
blond hair with his hand. "Promise,"
     "Well, if you promise..." Putting her doll down, Celia stepped to the edge of  the cliff.
Spreading her wings like he had shown her, the tiny gargoyle looked at the trickster for
approval.
      "That's right," Puck encouraged, "Now just keep them open and jump off."
Taking a deep breath, Celia jumped off the cliff.  She kept her wings open and for a brief
second, and felt the air lifting her upwards. Then she panicked and lost her balance. She began
to fall but felt a hand lifting her up. Looking up, she saw Puck holding her hand and smiling
at her.
    "Good job, Celia," he said, "Now just spread your wings and we'll catch a current for
ya."
    Celia did as he said and felt the air beneath her wings. In seconds, she was gliding on
the wind. But she still held tightly onto Puck's hand. She was not ready to go solo yet.
    "I'm flying Pookie!" she exclaimed as they soared over the countryside. Celia had never
felt so perfectly fulfilled in all her life. It was like her soul was utterly complete now.
     "What did I tell you kitten?" Puck took her other hand and swung her around in a
circle. Celia began to giggle incessantly.  The trickster set her back down on the air
current and let her glide along.
     "This isn't that hard," commented Celia as she experimented with using her tail as a
rudder. It wasn't long before she could turn left and right, if a bit clumsily. The entire time,
however, she held onto Puck's hand with a death grip. That first fall had shaken her up a
little and she wasn't ready to chance it again.
    "Pookie," she said after they had been gliding for about thirty minutes, "My wings are
starting to hurt."
    "That's because you're not used to flying," The fae plucked her out of the air and set her
on his shoulders, "There ya go kitten. We'll take a shortcut back to your cave, seeing how
it's almost dawn."
     With a flash of green light, the two vanished. They reappeared in the closed in cave
where Celia spent the day. Puck set her down on the ground and smiled at her. He
snapped his fingers and her doll appeared in her hands.
     "So, how did you like your first flying lesson?" he asked.
     "It was wonderful Pookie!" she said, "Can we go out again tomorrow night?"
     "Of course. And before you know it, you'll be flying circles around me."
     "Pookie," Celia said the sweetest voice she could. "Remember our deal?"
     "What deal?" Puck said, "I don't remember any deal."
     "Gooseberry pie!" Celia put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look, "You
promised."
      "Pie?" Puck teased, "I thought it was this." Waving his hand, the trickster created a
sparkling necklace. A crystal blue sphere hung at the end of a golden chain. Around the
azure jewel, shimmering green leaves were wrapped. They sparkled under the pale green
light of the cave and cast luminescent shadows that danced on the walls.
      "Ohhh," Celia looked at the jewelry in wonder, "It's beautiful,"
 Puck carefully put the gem around Celia's neck and stepped back to look at her. "My,
my, my," he said, " That looks much better on you than a gooseberry pie would, don't you
think?"
     Celia gently held the jewel in her tiny hands. Examining it with a delicate touch, she
smiled. With a gleeful giggle, she ran up to Puck and hugged him.
     "Thank you Daddy," Celia exclaimed.
     "Celia," Puck said seriously as he withdrew from her hug and looked her in the eyes,
"Remember what I said about that?"
      "Yes," Celia hung her head and replied solemnly, "I'm not to call you that, ever."
      "Good girl," Puck put back on his smile, but Celia could see the concern and worry
hidden underneath. "Now it's time for bed. I'll see you tonight."
      "Ok," Celia replied. She hated herself for making Puck upset. He had told her before
not to call him that. But for some reason, she couldn't help it. It just seemed like the right
thing to be calling him. She would just have to try harder, she decided.
    The last thing she saw before the stone sleep overcame her was Puck looking at her
with a troubled expression on his normally jolly face.

      When Celia woke from her stone sleep, she realized she wasn't on Avalon. Then she
remembered her task. She was here in Manhattan to free Puck. Looking around, she
surmised that she was in a castle. The stone walls and medieval decor were a sure tip off
to that. Other than that, she was clueless. Getting up, she saw that she had been lying on a
couch.
     The days rest had refreshed Celia and she felt much better than the night before.
Taking it upon herself to find out where she was, Celia started to explore. She was
walking out a door when she bumped into Angela. Remembering the events of their last
meeting, Celia got on the defensive.
     "Where am I?" she demanded.
     "At our home genius," Angela replied, "I had to carry you here. And I must say, you
could stand to lose a few pounds."
     "Look who's talking," Celia said, "Have you looked in a mirror lately, or are you afraid
of breaking it?"
     Angela's eyes glowed a bright red and a low growl emanated from her chest. "You
didn't come her to visit." she growled, "What's the real reason? Did everyone finally have
enough of your stupid animal tricks and kick you off?"
     If Angela had not have insulted the animals, Celia might have been able to contain her
fury, but now there was no such luck. The white gargoyle leapt for the lavender gargoyle.
Pumped up with adrenaline, both females fought furiously. Angela had remembered too
late what happened when someone insulted Celia's animals. Although Angela was the
better warrior, Celia had a sort of supernatural strength about her. Celia would have
probably ripped Angela to shreds if someone had not stepped in.
    Before Celia realized what was going on, she found herself thrown against the wall. She
hit the stone wall with a loud thump, and succeeded in knocking a couple of bricks out.
When she looked up to see who had done that, she found a huge male gargoyle towering
over her. And he did not look happy.
    "Ummm, hello." she said. "I'm Celia and you are?"
    "What is going on here?" Goliath growled.
    "Well, Angela and I just had a little disagreement." Celia saw this was not someone to
mess with. She peered over at Angela who was standing to the side of the room. "Isn't
that right Angela?"
     "That is correct." Angela replied coldly. "It's all right Goliath, she's from Avalon."
     "Avalon?" Goliath looked at Celia, "Then she is one of our clan."
     "Well, not really," Celia said as she stood up, "But it' a long story and I don't feel like
telling it."
     "She never feels like telling it," Angela said, "No one even knows where she came
from, except her. I'm surprised the Princess ever took her in."
     "I'm surprised she never strangled you," Celia spat back, "I know I feel like doing it all
the time."
    Angela's eyes became blazing red and she growled deeply. Celia returned her fiery
glare and they advanced towards each other as another fight approached.
    "Stop it!" Goliath's roar stopped them both in their tracks. Their eyes returned to
normal and they stared at the him. "I will not allow fighting between rookery sisters." he
commanded.
    "She's not my rookery sister," Angela said under her breath. A stern look from Goliath
stopped any more comments.
     "You two will act civilly towards each other or I will lock you both up like hatchlings
until you can behave. Is that clear?"
     "Yes father," Angela replied.
     "Yes sir," Celia looked at Angela with interest. So Goliath was her father? Interesting.
     "Now, Celia," Goliath said calmly, "What brings you to Manhattan?"
     Celia had to think fast. She knew that after their little fight, no one would believe that
she came to visit Angela. "I just heard so many things from the fae about 'the mortal realm'
as they call it, that I decided to come see for myself."
     "You are welcome to stay with our clan as long as you like Celia," Goliath said, "I'm
sure Angela would be more than happy to show you around the city."
     "But Goliath," Angela began to protest.
     "That's all right," Celia interrupted, "I think I'll just hang out in the castle for a while. To
get used to everything first."
     "Very well," Goliath said, "Now if you will excuse me, I am meeting Elisa tonight." He
walked out the door and into the hallway.
     "Bye and thanks for letting me stay!" Celia called down the hall after him. When he
was out of sight, she turned to Angela. "So, Angela. Are there any others or are you and
Goliath the only ones here?"
      "There are others," Angela replied, "If you want, I can introduce you to them."
      "Yes, I would like that," Celia said with a smirk, "I'd like that very much."
     Angela glared at her, but said nothing. Celia followed her as she traversed through the
castle, searching for the other members of the clan. Lexington, they found on the
computer, of all places. Celia politely greeted him, but the computer got most of her
attention. She listened with great interest as the little green gargoyle explained the basics of
its use. Angela stood in the back of the room, obviously bored. The miniature computer
lesson came to a stop when Lex received an email he had been expecting for some time.
Soon, he was totally oblivious to everything around him. Angela took the opportunity and
quickly dragged Celia out of the room.
     Hudson and Bronx were in their usual spot in front of the television. Only when a
commercial came on were Celia and Angela able to get the old gargoyle's attention.
Angela introduced their visitor to Hudson and Bronx. Hudson seemed very pleased with
Celia; even more so when he saw her interest in Bronx.
    "Hello boy," Celia said as she knelt down to pet the huge pooch, "How are you doing
tonight?"
     Bronx replied with a couple of whines and growls.
     "Oh that's too bad," Celia said sadly, "I'll see what I can do about that."
     "Can ye understand him lass?" Hudson asked with intense interest.
     "Yes, I can." Celia scratched Bronx vigorously behind the ears, "He said that he's
hungry but he doesn't want to leave you."
     "Why that is amazing lass," Hudson said. He gave a chuckle and then said, "You'll have
to teach me that sometime."
     "It's a gift not easily taught," Celia answered, "It took me nearly eight years."
     "Well, maybe I dinna need to know that badly," the tan gargoyle chuckled, "Come on
Bronx, let's go get you some food." Both gargoyle and hound got up and walked out the
door. Angela and Celia soon followed them. On their way to the balcony, they ran into
Broadway.
    "Hello Angela," the big blue gargoyle said through a mouthful of food. His arms were
heaping with a huge variety of food. "Who's your friend?"
    "She's Celia and she's not my friend."
    "Ok.." Broadway saw the look on his love's face and decided not to touch that subject
with a ten foot pole. "Pleased to meet you Celia," he greeted, "I'm Broadway."
    "Hello Broadway," Celia went to shake his hand but saw there was no room amid the
horde of food.
    "Let's go," Angela grabbed Celia's arm and pulled her down the hallway. Broadway
watched them go with pure confusion.
     "What was that all about?" Celia wrenched her arm free of Angela's grasp. " I barely
had time to say hello. Are you in a hurry or something?"
     "'Hello' is all you needed to say," Angela growled without even looking at Celia.
     "Oh, I see," Celia stopped in the middle of the hall and looked at Angela, "You and he
are together. Well, don't worry I may not like you but I would never stoop so slow as to
steal your mate."
      "Good," Angela looked Celia over and seemed to be thinking about something.
      "So is that it? Have I met everyone?" Celia asked.
      "No, not everyone. There's still Elisa and Brooklyn."
      "Well, I'm assuming I won't be meeting this Elisa for a while seeing how Goliath just
left to meet her. Where's the other one at?"
      "I don't know," answered Angela truthfully, "Brooklyn likes to hang out on the balcony
sometimes. We can check there. And if he's not there, you're on your own. I'm tired of
being your little hostess."
     "Fine with me," Celia trooped after Angela as she quickly walked down the halls. It
wasn't long before they arrived at the balcony. As they stepped out into the cold night air,
Celia shivered.
     "You'll get used to it in a while," Angela said.
     "I'll take your word for that." Celia said through chattering teeth. Out of the corner of
her eye, she saw something move. Turning to see what it was, Celia saw a gargoyle
standing before her. His hair was stock white and contrasted with ruddy red skin. And he
had a beak that Celia had only seen on birds. She found it rather interesting.
     "Hello,"she said, "You must be Brooklyn. I'm Celia."
     "Uhhh, hello Celia," Taken a bit aback by her forwardness, Brooklyn was unable to
say much else.
 "Well I can see you two are really hitting it off, so I'll leave you now." Angela quickly left,
leaving them alone on the balcony.
      "I really don't like her," Celia growled.
      "Why not?" Brooklyn asked.
    Celia started to answer, but then stopped. She had never really thought about what it
was in Angela that made her dislike her so much. Now that the question had been asked,
she realized she didn't know.
     "It doesn't matter," she finally replied. Turning her attention to the night sky, Celia's
mind began to drift. There seemed to be fewer stars here than in Avalon, but she knew
that wasn't true. It was just that the bright lights of the city, overwhelmed the lights of the
stars, making them almost invisible.  The moon, however, was not to be outdone. It still
shone as brightly as it ever did on Avalon. As she gazed at the waning moon, its cycle
nearing an end, Celia remembered all the nights that Puck would take her out flying. After
that first flight, she could never have enough of it. All she wanted to do was fly. No more
of Puck's transportation spells, she could fly wherever she wished. Celia chuckled as she
remembered how she would drag that poor trickster out flying at dusk and not let up until
dawn. But he never complained. At times he would casually suggest they do something
else, but he would never make her stop.
    Then she remembered Brooklyn. He was standing beside her, politely remaining silent.
Of course it may have seemed like he was just being polite, but Celia could tell that he
was nervous.
    "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that I was thinking about
someone."
    "Your mate?" Brooklyn ventured.
    "Oh no," Celia laughed, "I don't have a mate."
     A small smile crept over Brooklyn's face. "So, what brings you to Manhattan?"
     "Just to see this world everyone always talks about." Celia knew that she should be
beginning her search for that evil mage, Owen. She decided to see if she could get any
information out of Brooklyn.
     "So," she said, "Is it just your clan living in this big castle? I mean, from what I've seen
it's huge."
     "No," Brooklyn replied, "The human who owns this castle, Xanatos, lives here with his
family. The guy's rolling in money, as you've probably guessed."
     "Yes, I've noticed. Maybe I could meet them sometime." Celia decided to prod
further, "So just your clan and these Xanatoses huh?"
     "Yep," Brooklyn answered, "Well, there's Owen too. He's Xanatos' assistant."
     Celia merely shook her head. Getting too much more specific with her query might
raise some questions. Celia noticed some gargoyles heading towards the castle. It seemed
to be Lexington and Broadway.
     "Where were they?" she asked as she watched them land on the balcony below them.
     "They were on patrol."
     "Patrol?" Celia looked at Brooklyn curiously, "What's that?"
     "Well, that's when we go out in the city and look for any crimes that are taking place.
Robberies, muggings, things like that. If we see any, we stop them."
     "Why?"
     "It's part of our duty to protect the city and all the people in it." Brooklyn explained.
     "So you're friends with all of these humans?" Celia asked in disbelief.
     "Yeah right," Brooklyn laughed, "We're friends with a few of them. But a lot of them
would like to see us dead."
     "Then why protect them?" Celia asked him.
     "Because that's what gargoyles do." Brooklyn was amazed that she didn't know that.
"So it is your duty to protect millions of humans you don't know and most of whom would
rather see you dead?" she asked in disbelief.
     "Yeah, basically."
     "That just doesn't make any sense." Celia shook her head in confusion, "I can see
protecting those who are your friends, but not the faceless hordes."
     "But that's what we do," The only other gargoyle Brooklyn had ever heard talk like this
was Demona. He was finding it difficult to explain the entire concept to Celia. It was
something he had always taken for granted. "It's in a gargoyle's blood to protect his castle,
and this city is our castle, so to speak."
      "But they would destroy you the first chance they get," Celia walked across the
balcony and then turned to Brooklyn, "You can't trust humans like you can other
creatures. You must get to know them well and be aware of their every intricacy to be
able to even begin to trust them."
      "That's not true," replied Brooklyn, "There are some humans I trust as much as I
would a rookery sibling. And then there are some gargoyles who I trust about as far as I
can throw them."
      "You can probably throw them pretty far," Celia joked.
      "You're probably right," Brooklyn chuckled, "But what I'm saying is that you can't
stereotype the entire human race or anyone for that matter."
      "Yes, well, I still don't understand it." Celia ended the conversation by walking back
into the castle. The cold had gotten the better of her and she needed to warm up.
Brooklyn followed her inside. When they got inside, the were greeted by Goliath and
Elisa.
     "You must be Celia," the police woman said, "Goliath was just telling me about you."
      "And you must be Elisa," Celia said replied, "It's a pleasure."
     "Glad to meet you too Celia," Elisa said, "Goliath tells me you're here visiting. Any idea
on how long you'll be staying?"
     "Oh, I'd say as long as it takes to see what I need to see."
     "Hey Elisa," Brooklyn said, "How did that drug bust go yesterday?"
     "Great," Elisa said happily, "With Angela's help we were able to arrest all of the goons.
And we confiscated over five hundred pounds of cocaine."
     "Geez, that's a lot," Brooklyn commented, "Who would be stupid enough to try and
get that much stuff into a New York harbor?"
      "I have no idea. I just know they won't be trying it again anytime soon."
    Just then, Celia saw a man enter the room. He was wearing a dark business suit and
had his long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.
    "Good evening Goliath, Detective, Brooklyn" Xanatos said as he entered the room.
    "Is there something you need Xanatos?" Elisa asked with a hint of disdain.
    "Just coming up to see our new guest," he replied coolly.
    "Xanatos," Goliath gestured to Celia, "This is Celia. She has come from Avalon to visit.
She will be staying with us for a while."
    "Excellent," the billionaire said. "As Goliath has already stated my dear, I am David
Xanatos."
    "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Xanatos," Celia shook his hand.
    "Please, the pleasure is all mine."
    Celia blushed slightly at the charm act."So, Mr. Xanatos, I hear that you are quite well
off. Lady Luck must truly shine upon you at all times."
     "I make my own luck," Xanatos replied.
     "You did all of this by yourself?" Celia feigned amazement.
      "Yeah right," Brooklyn snorted.
      "I admit, I did have some help." Xanatos said, ignoring Brooklyn's comment.
      "Personally, I think that without Owen, you wouldn't know what to do," Brooklyn
continued.
      "That is untrue," Xanatos said sorely, "Before Owen came to work for me, I had
already acquired millions."
      "Who is this Owen person?" Celia asked innocently.
      "He's Xanatos' assistant," Elisa explained.
       "Oh, that's right. Brooklyn you told me that didn't you?" said Celia, "He's sounds like
a very interesting person. I think I'd like to meet him sometime."
       "Well speak of the devil," Xanatos looked out into the hallway. Owen was passing by
when his employer pulled him into the room. The assistant looked a little exasperated, but
said nothing.
       "Owen," Xanatos said, "Meet our guest, Celia. She's from Avalon."
    Owen looked at the white gargoyle. Much to everyone's surprise his face became filled
with shock. But a fierce shriek pulled their attention to Celia. Her eyes were glowing like a
fire was inside of her. Before anyone could stop her, she leapt towards Owen and
grabbed him by the collar. Lifting him up off the ground, she flung him through a window.
Glass shattered everywhere and Owen fell out of the window, still looking completely
aghast.
    Quickly, Goliath jumped out the window after the falling fae in disguise. Meanwhile,
Brooklyn and Xanatos were busy trying to restrain Celia. Her strength was unbelievable
and they weren't succeeding in doing anything but making her angrier. Elisa pulled out her
gun, but everyone was moving about so much she wouldn't shoot in fear of hitting the
wrong person.  Celia seemed to be slowly calming down when Goliath returned carrying
Owen in his arms. He set the blond man down on the ground and went to help Brooklyn
and Xanatos.
    The sight of Owen alive enraged Celia to the point that she became like a wild animal.
With supernatural strength augmented by adrenaline, the petite gargoyle managed to throw
all three of her captors off of her. Bounding on all fours, she went for Owen. The assistant
only stood there and did not attempt to defend himself.  Feet away from him, Celia leapt
into the air, aiming for his throat.
    A shot rang out and she fell to the floor. Elisa stood with a smouldering gun in her
hands. A moment of silence filled the room as everyone tried to figure out what had just
happened. Celia's limp body lay on the cold, stone floor, motionless. Bright red blood
could be seen flowing from a small wound in her back.
     Owen rushed over to the fallen gargoyle. Kneeling down beside her, he lifted her up
and placed her head in his arms. Carefully, he checked her vital signs. She was still alive.
    "Owen," Xanatos was the first to speak, "What is going on?"
    "It is a long story Mr. Xanatos," he replied as he gently brushed Celia's blond hair from
her face."One that I thought had ended centuries ago." A caring look came over the
assistant's normally stoic face. "I would appreciate if someone would bring me the first-aid
kit." Owen picked Celia up from the floor and carried her over to the couch.
     "I'll get it," Brooklyn raced out of the room and returned moments later with a small
black box. He handed it to Owen who began to go through its contents with his good
hand while holding Celia upright with his stone fist.
     "Is she going to be all right?" Elisa asked.
     "I believe so Detective," Owen answered as he finished wrapping the bandage over
Celia's wound. "Your bullet missed her heart, barely." The look he gave the cop dropped
the temperature in the room by ten degrees.
     "Hey, I was saving your butt, mister," Elisa said when she received his glare.
    "A less dangerous method would have been preferred."
    "Next time I'll give you a choice." Elisa folded her arms in disgust.
    "Why would she attack you Owen?" Xanatos saw the direction of their conversation
and decided to step in.
    "I have no idea sir." Celia began to stir. Owen gently set her down on the couch. "I
believe we will soon find out."
    "You may want to get out of sight," Goliath suggested, "I don't want to be going after
you again."
     "Very well," Owen stepped back against the wall and almost disappeared into the
shadows.
     Celia slowly woke up. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. She tried to get up, but
her chest hurt too much. Turning her head, she saw Goliath, Brooklyn, Elisa and Xanatos
watching her. But she saw Owen nowhere. Had she succeeded in destroying him and
freeing Puck? She couldn't remember anything past throwing the evil sorcerer out the
window.
     "May I ask what that was all about?" Xanatos said.
     "Where is the man Owen?" Celia demanded, "Is he dead?"
     "Why would you want him dead?" Goliath asked.
     "Is he dead?" she asked once again.
     "He's alive," Xanatos answered "And he's going to stay that way."
     "No, I must destroy him, you don't understand," Celia tried again to get up. She cried
out in pain as the wound opened again. Fresh blood appeared on the bandage and Celia
lay back down on the couch. When the young female cried out, Xanatos noticed that his
assistant started towards her as if concerned, but then held back.
     "You won't be doing anything if you don't lie still," Elisa said as she went over and tried
to stop the bleeding once more.
     "What kind of sorcery did he use on me?" asked Celia, delicately felling her chest, "My
entire chest fells like it is burning up."
     "It wasn't sorcery," Elisa explained, "I shot you when you attacked him."
     "Why do you protect him? He's evil. Don't you see?"
     "What are you talking about?" Brooklyn looked as confused as everyone else.
     "That's right," Celia said quietly, "He has you under a spell."
     "No one has us under a spell," Goliath walked over to Celia and looked at her
seriously, "If you tell us what is going on, we may be able to help you."
     "You can't help," A dejected tone rode on Celia's voice, "He said that I must kill him
and you have already said that you will not allow that."
      "Who told you this?" Xanatos asked. This was becoming a very interesting
conversation.
      Celia looked over the faces surrounding her and thought for a moment. Oberon told
her not to tell anyone of her mission, but it would seem that they already knew most of it.
The element of surprise was gone and she would probably never have another chance.
Telling them could do no more harm. And maybe, she thought to herself, she might be
able to reason with them enough to have them help her.
     "Lord Oberon," she said.  She saw anger flash over all who watched her.
    "I should have known," said Xanatos, "If Owen is gone, then he will have an excuse to
take Alexander to Avalon."
     "Celia, tell us everything that Oberon told you," Goliath said.
     "He told me that this human, Owen Burnett, was really a powerful sorcerer; the most
evil one on the face of this planet," the white gargoyle explained, "I was informed that this
sorcerer held someone I hold very dear captive. And the only way to free him was to kill
his captor. When I came here I could not tell anyone of my mission because you were all
under a spell that made you unaware of Owen's evil nature and that you would try to keep
me from destroying him."
     "Well, you've got one thing right," Xanatos said, "We're not going to let you destroy
him, but everything else Oberon told you was a lie."
     " I thought you would say that," sighed Celia,"It appears the spell is strong indeed."
     "Celia," Brooklyn put his hand over his face and shook his head, "We are not under a
spell. Understand? Oberon's been lying to you."
     "But why would he lie to me? He has nothing to gain from this, does he?"
     " When Oberon's concerned, he's always got something to gain," answered the
billionaire, "For one he would be able to take Alex from his mother and I and he would
also rid himself of Puck."
      At the sound of the trickster's name, Celia gasped. They knew of him? She was
quickly becoming very confused and uncertain of what to do.
     "Puck?" she stuttered, " But how would killing the sorcerer get rid of Puck? He's
holding him captive."
      "No, no," Brooklyn replied, "Puck's not being held captive by anyone."
      "Then why didn't he return to Avalon for the Gathering?" Celia's heart was beginning
to form tiny cracks. If he was not kept from returning to her, then had he abandoned her of his
own free wil?. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why didn't he ever return for me?"
      Xanatos exchanged some looks with Goliath. This was definitely becoming very
intriguing if not downright strange.
    "I thought you were dead." Owen stepped from the shadows and carefully approached
the injured Celia. She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. It rang with an echo of two
voices. One of the assistant's and then that of the trickster's.
    "What?" Celia fell from the couch in shock and stared at Owen. "What kind of sorcery
is this? Where is Puck?"
     Owen walked to Celia and lowered himself down to her. "Right here." His voice still
echoed, but the trickster's was becoming more prominent. Brooklyn felt a chill go down
his spine. Hearing Puck's voice come from the stoic assistant was downright bone-chilling.
     "I don't believe you," Celia was unsure of what she believed. All she knew was that
everything she had always believed before this was shattering into a million pieces. "How
do I know this isn't some evil trick?"
      "Remember when I gave this to you?" Owen slowly reached out and held the
sparkling gem around her neck. "You had just flown for the first time and I gave this to
you before you went to sleep."
      "Yes, I remember," Celia looked into the man's pale blue eyes and searched for the
playful glint that had always been in the trickster's eyes. She thought she saw it, but it was
so faint, she was unsure. "But if you're Puck, let me see him."
     "I can't, " Owen sighed, "I have been forbidden from using my powers except in the
training and protection of Alexander."
     "How convenient," Celia tore her eyes from his gaze and struggled to pull herself away
from him.
     "Please don't do that," Owen's voice returned to normal as he took her arm and kept
her from moving, "You're going to open the wound again."
     Celia looked down at his hand on her arm and briefly considered ripping it off with her
talons, but something inside of her stopped her. Instead, she just glared at him. If this was
truly Puck, he would have shown himself to her. "Just stay away from me." she growled,
wrenching her arm from his grip.
        "He's telling the truth, you know, "Xanatos said to her. "The only reason he can't turn
into Puck is because Alex is visiting his grandfather with his mother."
      "Sure," Once again, Celia tried to lift herself off the floor. This time she succeeded and
quickly sat down on the couch. Heaving a sigh of relief, she relaxed against the soft
cushions. She glanced at Owen who was looking at her. It didn't appear like anyone else
noticed, but Celia could see he was hurt by her rejection. And for some reason, she felt
bad for hurting him. Part of her refused to believe that this human could possibly be Puck,
but another, more emotional part of her, actually longed for it to be true. Could it possibly
be true? She decided to find out.
    "If you are truly Puck, then you will know things about me," Celia looked over to the
assistant, "First, what did Puck always call me?"
    "Kitten," Owen answered.
    "Very well, anyone could find that out," Celia replied. She wasn't ready to accept it yet.
"What's my favorite food?"
     "Gooseberry pie, of course." Owen answered her questions with a monotonous tone.
   Celia was impressed. This man had done his research. But there was one thing only
Puck himself would know. "Only Puck would know the answer to this, for he always hid it
from everyone." Celia looked the assistant straight in the eye and asked, "What was the
only thing I ever did that upset Puck?"
    Owen looked around at his colleagues. They were all looking at him expectantly.
Straightening his tie, he replied, "I would rather not say at the moment."
    "I thought as much," Celia slumped against the couch in defeat. A single tear fell down
her face as she knew that she was destined never to see the trickster again.
    "Very well," Owen saw the tear glide down her pale cheek. He had always hated
seeing her sad and now was no different. Taking a deep breath he allowed a bit of Puck
to rise to the surface. "When you called me daddy," the trickster's voice wavered a bit on
the final word.
    Celia's jaw dropped and she stared at Owen. She was not the only one either. The
others looked at the assistant in shock.
     "Pookie?" Celia asked in amazement, "Oh, it really is you!" Ignoring the pain, she
jumped up from the couch and rushed over to him. With enough force to nearly knock
him over, Celia embraced him tightly and began crying.
    "I thought I'd never see you again," she sobbed.
    "I too thought you were forever gone," Owen gently stroked her hair and helped her
back to the couch.
     "Wait a minute, what's going on here?" Elisa asked, "I am completely confused."
     "Yes Owen, please enlighten us," Xanatos said, "Especially on why she would call you
daddy."
     "It is not for the reasons you are thinking, sir. I assure you." Owen sat Celia down on
the couch. "And for now, it would suffice to say that she and Puck knew each other long
ago."
     "But what happened to make you think she was dead?" Brooklyn asked.
     "Events which I do not care to recall. And as for how she got on Avalon, I do not
know." he looked down at Celia. "It appears that the questions will have to wait until
another time." He motioned to Celia who was lying down on the couch. The excitement of
being reunited with Puck plus her wound had been too much for her body. She was now
in a sleep as deep as if it were day and she were stone. And for the first time in a long
while, she slept with a feeling of comfort and protection.

Ok, that's it. There will be more to come soon. Tell me what you think kay?